Vehicle wheel



` Oct. 8, 1935.

R. B. TEMPLEy v VEHICLE lWHEEL Filed April so, 1932 zoA INVENToR;

.Z305 erf/ A TTORNEY I Patented Oct. 8, 1935 1 v *UNrreDf f-STATSl'PM-i1NT OFFICE.'

o, n 4 o i 12,016,525! o vv i f Robert lB. Temple, Detroit, Mich.,asslgnorto Budd Wheel Company, Phllxulelphia, Pa., a-

corporation ofi Pennsylvania Y appnegfim'Api-u zo, 1932,', serial No.6.03.3479

`s claims. (Cavani-s) The invention relates y. to wheels, andA moreparticularlyl to lightgauge sheet metalwheels suitable forl use`onfairplanes or automobiles. The principal object of the invention isthe provision-,of a sheet metal wheel susceptible of Amodincation andre-designing for various ultimate conical portion 20, `dished`oppositely to portion uses. A .further object relates to the provisionof a very light -weight wheel possessing strength to a degree consistentwith ther requirements of modern vehicle weights and speeds. Y

Other objects relate to refinements Aof de-` tail, such as theprovisionoi' `a brake drum within the wheel, and a relatively simple rimconstruction. y f n These and other objects Ihave attained by theprovision of an,integral wheel body andrim,

fabricated from light gauge sheet metal. vThe preferred waysy in which Iaccomplish these objectswill be apparent from a'reading o f the sub-vjoinedspeciiication inthe light of the attached drawing, in which, n ,vv l Figure 1 is a central axial sectional view of my" improved vehiclewheel. v

f Figs. 2 and 3` are views v showing.xnodiilcations pertaining to brakedrums y and methods of fastening them to the wheel.

In the preferred embodiment of Figure 1.l the numeral I0 indicates atubular hub of light gauge metal having two flanged sieeves Il pressedinto its opposite ends to receive the wheel bearings. The wheel rim I2is preferably of thedrop cenvter non-demountabletype, built up` chieflyof angularly disposed sheet metal members, thev members not onlyconstituting the rim but' the wheel body as well.l In this way,ladvantage may be-taken of the strength of certain metal structures, aswell as the easelof 'fabrication yof sheet y metal stock.

Rim I2 is comprised chiefly of main elements. One is a dished stampingI3 comprising a conical'wheel body portion I4, flanged axia'llyat I5adjoining the hub I0, and a rim porltion following substantially the`normal contour v of av drop-center rim, comprising .a side wall I6, A

mented by an annular reinforcing member 3|, g which nests closelywithin'the under side of member I3, and which continues inwardlyto azone 32, terminating in a conical flange through which it is secured tomember I3. An additional portions.

similar to Figure 1 reinforcingv member 33 may be interposed `loe--tween members i3 and Il adjacent the outer rim At the opposite axial endof the wheel, a second dished stamping I9 is used,lof essentially thesame cross section aslstamping I3, comprising a I4 of stamping I3,'aside wallportion 2|, a tire bead seat 22 and a tire retaining flange 23.

,'Ac'tually, these rim portions ofv member I9 are 10 only supplementary,inasmuch as theylie on the `under side of theactual rim, and serve toradialtion 25 having" an angularly inwardly extending 15 flange` 26`abutting the conical portion I4 of part I3 and attached thereto, a sidewall portion 2'I3,-

a tire beady seatA 28, and a-,tire retaining `flange 29. Elements 21, 28and 29- of member 24 and elements 2I22 and 23 of member I9 fit together20 in closely nested relationship, and are secured directly to eachotherexcept adjacent the tire bead `seat and retaining flange, where anannular reinforcing kstrip 30 is interposed "between them. A n

`The numeral 34 represents thev various locations where annular seriesof spot welds are employed to fasten the members together. Spot-'welding has been determined upon as the most satisfactory means forsecuring the various sheet 30 metal parts together,l as it can4 bel usedequally well in any location, regardless of ,whether'twm three or evenmore thicknesses oi.' metalare to be united.

The wheel hereinbefore described comprises in g5 effect a rim, a hub,and an interconnecting wheell member comprised of two oppositelyVconical discs.. lThe strength of fsuch an arrangement is at onceapparent., The bracing action afforded by the two discs is in everycase' overly` sufd'- 40 cient to meet any condition" of torque, or oflateral orvradial thrust'. The rim4 portion perse is more thanadequately strong by'virtue of the nested relationship oftheinnerandouter ele- ',ments,A andthe interposed reinforcing members. 45

In Figure?, a modification is shown, in which the inner member 3 vLofFigure Iv has been supplanted by a brake drum member 35y of, relativelyheavier section stamped metal. This member is comprised by a centralaxially extending braking portion 36, having a radially outwardlyextend- Y ing flange 31 and an inwardly 4extending attaching flangethrough which the drum 35 is attached to the side wall I6 of member I3.An

annular stiffening flange 39 is spot welded to the 5 outside of the tireretaining flange I8 of member I3, while the axial edge of this flange isturned outwardly. Drum member 35 may then be telescoped within memberI3, the abutting flanges butt welded at 40, and the edge of portion I8rolled down. Drum 35 is particularly designed for internal expandingbrakes, the type now in widespread use.- The annular channel sectionformed by the joinder of flange 31 and flange 39, braces and stiffensthe tire retaining flange I8, and supports the tire bead seat I'I awayfrom drum 35 so that heat generated by repeated or continuous brakingactions will be dissipated, and will not deleteriously aect the tire.

In Figure 3, an angle-section stamped drum 4I is` shown, comprising anaxially extending braking portion 42 for internal or external brakes,and a radially extending flange I3, through which the drum isspot-welded to members I3 and 3l, which members in this formv arepreferably joined in a vertical plane to allow room for brake mechanismwith the drum 4 I.

In the forms shown, it will be noted that the tire bead seat formed bymember I3 is of relatively greaterV axial extent than the tire bead seaton the other side of the central plane of the wheel, formed by membersI9 and l24. This provision is to allow the brake drum and brakemechanism to be accommodated entirely with the wheel, thus improvinglthe compactness and streamline appearance thereof.

'I'he objects of my invention have been attained in full. By virtue ofthe fact that light stampings comprise the major elements of the ywheel, I am able to meet the various require` ments of diilerent rimdiameters and widths, as well as those of different hub and bearingarrangements by relatively easy changes in design. The composite nestingarrangement of the parts allows them to be made of extremely light gaugestock, thus effecting a considerable reduction and saving in cost andweight. The use of deep conical sections wherever possible makes formaximum strength vwith a minimum of weight. By the provision of a widertire seating portion on the inner end of the rim portion, I am able 'towholly encompass the brake drum and actuating means within the wheel.The rim construction is very simple, yet affords a favorable conditionfor welding the various component parts together.

The invention is susceptible of many modifications, and I do nottherefore wish to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

Ir claim as my invention:

1. A vehicle wheel comprising axially spaced sheet metal body elementsincluding hub and rim sectionsv and central portions of oppositelysloping deep generally conical form, a. frusto-conical having head andflange portions respectivelyy reinforcing the drop center and `beadportions of said rim.

3. A vehicle wheel comprising axially spaced and aligned front and rearhub sleeve elements having remote-end annular flanges, front and rearthin gauge sheet metal members, each constituting a one piece stampinghaving a tire retaining flange, a tire seat, a drop center side 5 wall,an annular portion of substantially frustoconical form extending to oneof said sleeves and an axial tubular portion nesting the adjacent sleeveagainst the adjacent sleeve flange,

said members being axially spaced at the closest 10 points byapproximately the axial extent of the drop center wall of the rim, and athird thin gauge sheet metal single stamping having a tire retainingflange and a drop center side wall portion substantially conforming tothe correspond- 15 ing portions of one of said members and securedthereto, said third stamping also having a drop center bottom wallportion and an annular margin secured in conforming side surfacerelation to the other of said members.

4. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub structure, front and rear thin gaugesheet metal members, each constituting a one piece stamping having adrop center tire retaining flange, a tire seat, a drop center side wall,an annular portion of substantially frusto-conical form extending tosaid hub structure and a portion secured to said structure, said membersbeing axially spaced from each other', and a third thin gauge sheetymetal single stamping having la tire retaining ange and a drop centerside wall substantially conforming to the corresponding portions of oneof said members and secured thereto, said third stamping also having adrop center bottom wall and a portion secured to the other of saidmembers.

5. A vehicle Wheel comprising a hub structure,

' front and rear thin gauge sheet metal members',

each having a tire retaining flange, a tire seat,

a drop center side wall, a body of substantially 40 frusto-conical formextending to and secured to said hub structure, said members beingaxially spaced from each other, and a third thin-gauge sheet metalmember having a tire retaining flange and a side wall substantiallyconforming to the corresponding portions of one of said members, saidthird member also having a drop center bottom wall and a portion securedto the other of said members.

6. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub structure, front and rear thin gaugesheet metal members, each having a tire retaining flange, a tire seat,

a drop center side wall, a body of substantially frusta-conical formextending and secured to said hub structure, said members being axiallyspaced from eachother, a third thin-gauge sheet metal member having atire retaining flange and a side wall substantially conforming to thecorresponding portions of one of said members, said third member alsohaving a drop center bottom wall and a portion secured to the other ofsaid members, and sheet metal members secured one to each of said frontand rear members and reinforcing the tire retaining flange thereof.

7. A vehicle wheel comprising front and rear b5 sheet metal annulihaving substantially frustoconical w'heel body portions sloping towardeach other from an axially-extensive hub mounting portion to outerannular zones spaced axially by approximately the axial extent of thebottom Wall of a drop center rim, a drop center rim wall joining saidannuli at substantially said zones, drop center rim side walls, tirebases, retaining flanges, and a brake member secured to the wheel 754erases 3 having the maior portions axially torwardly of the rear limitsof the rear annuli and ,the rear retaining nange.

8. A vehicle wheel comprising front and rear portion.said members beingaxially spaced from each other, and a third sheet metal member l' 10overlapping one ot said axially spaced members lfrom adjacent the `inneroi' its drop cen- E ter side vali portion to its outer periphery andreinforcing-therme in said region, said'third member also having a dropcenter bottom waii portion extending across from the `lastmentionedoneofsaidaxiailyspacedmemberltothe other ot said members yandhaving further a portion overlapping said last named member and securedthereto.

mm1' n. mi. i0

